beamererrors
I am making slides for a presentation on beamer and everything was going perfect. However,
all of a sudden I cannot compile and I get the following error messsage:
"! Text line contains an invalid character.
l.1"
Please help, my presentation is in 5 days!!! Everything was fine until my computer made a an automatic windows update
This page's instructions work in this particular case. In case the page disappears later, here's the summary:
But rumor has it that some of them do not like beamer very much.
I imagine that this stems from having seen a lot of (thesis and other) presentations filled with seemingly endless pauses after pages of bullets and enumerations, combined with page-long equations, and paragraphs of quoted texts that are hard to read because they are simply too long.
When giving presentations, I try very hard to minimize the number of words in each frame, and try to make each frame last at least 5 minutes; further more, I try extremely hard to represent ideas graphically using a variety of different pictures to keep the audience from getting fatigued by repetition.
Here's a snippet from a (fairly) recent presentation that I hope illustrates my intent- keep each frame different, with visuals that accompany your verbal description; remember that you are the presentation, and that your slides are there only to support you, and not the other way round.
I don't know if you (or indeed, the community) will consider the following atypical; let the voters decide!
Here's the code:
% arara: pdflatex
% !arara: animate: {delay: 80}
% !arara: indent: {overwrite: yes, localSettings: yes}
\documentclass[mathserif]{beamer}
%\documentclass[handout,mathserif]{beamer}
\usepackage{pgfplots}
\usetikzlibrary{positioning}
\usetikzlibrary{fit}
\usetikzlibrary{backgrounds}
\usetikzlibrary{calc}
\usetikzlibrary{shapes}
\usetikzlibrary{mindmap}
\usetikzlibrary{decorations.text}
\pgfplotsset{compat=1.7}
\usetheme{Boadilla}
\usecolortheme{seagull}
% tikzmark command, for shading over items
\newcommand{\tikzmark}[1]{\tikz[overlay,remember picture] \node (#1) {};}
% standard enumeration
\setbeamertemplate{enumerate items}{(\arabic{enumi})}
% default itemize
\setbeamertemplate{itemize items}[circle]
% transparency
\setbeamercovered{transparent=15}
% for resuming lists across frames
\newcounter{savedenum}
\newcommand*{\saveenum}{\setcounter{savedenum}{\theenumi}}
\newcommand*{\resume}{\setcounter{enumi}{\thesavedenum}}
% title
\title{Accessibility in Mathematics}
\subtitle{A collaborative project}
\author[Leavitt, Hughes]{Scot Leavitt \and Chris Hughes}
\institute[PCC]{Portland Community College}
\date{February 19th 2013}
\tikzset{
invisible/.style={opacity=0},
visible on/.style={alt=#1{}{invisible}},
alt/.code args={<#1>#2#3}{%
\alt<#1>{\pgfkeysalso{#2}}{\pgfkeysalso{#3}} % \pgfkeysalso doesn't change the path
},
}
%\includeonlyframes{daytoday}
\begin{document}
\begin{frame}
\maketitle
\end{frame}
\begin{frame}[label=daytoday]{Where do we start?}
\makebox[\textwidth]{%
\begin{tikzpicture}[every node/.append style={cloud,draw,thick,align=center}]
\pause
\node[draw=red,double,fill=red!20, minimum width=3cm,minimum height=2cm,cloud puffs=10, aspect=1.3](formats){Accessible\\ formats?};
\pause
\node[draw=blue,double,cloud,below right=of formats,fill=blue!20, cloud puffs=13, aspect=1.8](mathml) {MathML?\\MathJax?};
\pause
\node[draw=yellow,double,left=0.75cm of mathml, fill=yellow!30, minimum height=2.5cm, cloud puffs=17, aspect=2](final){Best \\ practices?};
\pause
\node[draw=green,double,left=0.75cm of final, fill=green!20, cloud puffs=13, aspect=3](best){Faculty\\ responsibilities?};
\pause
\node[draw=orange,double,left=of formats, fill=orange!30, minimum width=2cm,minimum height=3cm,cloud puffs=13, aspect=0.9]{Final \\ product?};
\end{tikzpicture}
}
\end{frame}
\begin{frame}{Input from department}
\begin{columns}
\begin{column}[t]{.65\textwidth}
What tools do faculty use?
\begin{tikzpicture}[every node/.append style={align=center}]
\begin{pgfonlayer}{background}
\node[circle,fill=red!30,draw=black,thick,minimum size=5cm](0,0){Microsoft Word\\ 86\%};
\end{pgfonlayer}{background}
\pause
\visible<2->{\filldraw[gray,opacity=0.5] (2.5,0) arc (0:-190:2.5cm) -- (0,0)node[black,opacity=1,anchor=north east,scale=1,inner sep=.5cm] {MathType \\ 60\%};}
\pause
\visible<3->{\node[circle,fill=blue!40,draw=black,scale=1.15] at (2.3,-1){\LaTeX\\16\%};}
\pause
\visible<4->{\node[circle,fill=orange!40,draw=black,scale=0.65] at (2.3,1){Open Office\\12\%};}
\end{tikzpicture}
\end{column}%
\pause
\begin{column}[t]{.35\textwidth}
Other tools
\begin{itemize}
\item Graph
\item Winplot
\item GeoGebra
\item Maple
\item Excel
\item PowerPoint
\item Applets/videos, etc
\end{itemize}
\end{column}%
\end{columns}
\end{frame}
\begin{frame}{Rule of four}
\centering
\begin{tikzpicture}[approach/.style={draw,very thick, fill=blue!20, text width=5em,
text centered, minimum height=2.5em,rounded corners=3ex},
idea/.style={draw, very thick,fill=blue!40, circle,text width=6em,
text centered, minimum height=2.5em},
connections/.style={<->,draw=black!30,line width=3pt,shorten <=5pt,shorten >=5pt},
]
% Draw diagram elements
\node (idea) [idea,draw=blue,fill=blue!20] {Idea or concept};
\pause
\node (verbal) [approach,draw=red,fill=red!20,above=of idea] {Verbal};
\node (tabular) [approach,draw=green,fill=green!20,left=of idea] {Numerical};
\node (graphical)[approach,draw=yellow,fill=yellow!20,right=of idea] {Graphical};
\node (formular)[approach,draw=orange,fill=orange!20,below=of idea] {Algebraic};
% Draw arrows between elements
\draw[connections] (idea) -- (formular) ;
\draw[connections] (idea) -- (verbal);
\draw[connections] (idea) -- (graphical);
\draw[connections] (idea) -- (tabular);
\draw[connections] (verbal.west) to[out=180,in=90](tabular.north) ;
\draw[connections] (verbal.east) to[out=0,in=90](graphical.north) ;
\draw[connections] (tabular.south) to[out=-90,in=180](formular.west) ;
\draw[connections] (graphical.south)to[out=-90,in=0](formular.east);
\end{tikzpicture}
\end{frame}
\begin{frame}[label=workflow]{Workflow}
\makebox[\textwidth][c]{%
\begin{tikzpicture}[
outpt/.style={->,blue!80!black,very thick},
>=stealth,
every node/.append style={align=center}]
\node (kaela) at (0,0) {\begin{tabular}{@{}c}Disability\\ Services \\ Office \end{tabular}};
\pause
\node (accessfile) [right=of kaela] {\begin{tabular}{@{}c}accessible\\ electronic \\ file \end{tabular}};
\draw[outpt](kaela)--(accessfile);
% Draw background
\begin{pgfonlayer}{background}
% Left-top corner of the background rectangle
\path (kaela.west |- kaela.north)+(-0.5,0.5) node (a) {};
% Right-bottom corner of the background rectanle
\path (accessfile.east |- accessfile.south)+(+0.5,-0.5) node (c) {};
% Draw the background
\path[fill=yellow!20,rounded corners, draw=black!50, dashed]
(a) rectangle (c);
\end{pgfonlayer}
\pause
\node (screen)[above right=of accessfile]{Screen\\ reader\\ accessible};
\node (braille)[right =of accessfile]{Braille-ready\\ format};
\node (enlarge)[below right=of accessfile]{enlargable\\ \& other \\ formats};
\draw[outpt](accessfile)--(screen.west);
\draw[outpt](accessfile)--(braille);
\draw[outpt](accessfile)--(enlarge.west);
\begin{pgfonlayer}{background}
% Left-top corner of the background rectangle
\path (screen.west |- screen.north)+(-0.25,0.25) node (a) {};
% Right-bottom corner of the background rectanle
\path (enlarge.east |- enlarge.south)+(0.5,0) node (c) {};
% Draw the background
\path[fill=green!20,rounded corners, draw=green,thick]
(a) rectangle (c);
\end{pgfonlayer}
\pause
\node (source) [left=of kaela,draw=black!50,dashed,circle,fill=orange!30]{Source files};
\draw[outpt](source)--(kaela);
\end{tikzpicture}
}
\end{frame}
\begin{frame}{Stand alone concept}
\begin{tikzpicture}[mindmap,
concept/.append style={fill={none}},
root concept/.style={concept color=blue},
level 1 concept/.append style=
{every child/.style={concept color=blue!50},level distance = 30mm},
level 2 concept/.append style=
{every child/.style={concept color=red!50},level distance = 19mm},
every node/.append style={align=center,scale=0.7},
]
\node [concept,font=\huge] {Stand\\ Alone}
child[grow=0, visible on=<2->] {node[concept] {Source files .tex, .docx}
child[grow=80, visible on=<2->]{node[concept] {.pdf}}
child[grow=30, visible on=<2->]{node[concept] {Enlarged}}
child[grow=-20, visible on=<2->]{node[concept] {MathML}}
child[grow=-70, visible on=<2->]{node[concept] {.brf}}
}
child[grow=-90,visible on=<3->] {node[concept] {Graphs}
child[grow=0,visible on=<3->]{node[concept] {tactile printing}}
child[grow=180,visible on=<3->]{node[concept] {alt text}}
}
child[grow=180,visible on=<4->] {node[concept] {homework management system}
child[grow=110,visible on=<4-> ] {node[concept] {keyboard navigable}}
child[grow=180,visible on=<4->] {node[concept] {screen reader accessible}}
child[grow=250,visible on=<4->] {node[concept] {vpat}}
};
\node at (0,0) [inner sep=9mm,decorate,circle,decoration=
{text along path,text={Equally Effective Equally Effective Equally Effective Equally Effective }}] {};
%\draw decorate[decoration={text along path,text={Equally Effective}}]
%{(-3,0) arc (135:45:.5cm)};
\end{tikzpicture}
\end{frame}
\begin{frame}[c]{What stands alone?}
% Which content creation tools stand alone?
\pause
\begin{columns}
\begin{column}[c]{.33\textwidth}
\tikz \node[fill=green!20,draw=green, rounded corners,very thick,inner sep=0mm]{%
\vbox{%
\begin{itemize}
\item MS Word with MathType
\item \LaTeX
\item LibreOffice
\item Scientific Notebook
\item Graphs
\item Prepared lecture notes
\item Desire2Learn
\item WeBWorK
\item Videos
\end{itemize}
}%
};
\end{column}%
\pause
\begin{column}[c]{.33\textwidth}
\tikz \node[fill=orange!20,draw=orange, rounded corners,very thick,inner sep=0mm]{%
\vbox{%
\begin{itemize}
\item[] MyMathLab
\end{itemize}
}
};
\vfill
\end{column}%
\pause
\begin{column}[c]{.33\textwidth}
\tikz \node[fill=red!20,
draw=red,
rounded corners,
very thick,
inner sep=0mm,
%decorate,decoration={zigzag,segment length=10mm,amplitude=2.0mm},
]{%
\vbox{%
\begin{itemize}
\item MS Word OMML
\item PowerPoint
\item TestGen
\item GeoGebra applets
\item Flash-based applets
\item Other media
\end{itemize}
}
};
\end{column}
\end{columns}
\end{frame}
\begin{frame}[fragile]{Collaboration is key}
\makebox[\textwidth][c]{%
\begin{tikzpicture}[venn circle/.style={draw=#1,
circle,
very thick,
minimum width=4cm,
text=black,
fill=#1!90,
opacity=0.4,
text opacity=1},
every node/.append style={align=center}]
\node [venn circle = red] (A) at (0,0) {Math Department:\\ Content Experts};
\visible<2->{\node [venn circle = blue] (B) at (60:3.25cm) {Disability Services:\\ Accommodation Experts};}
\visible<3->{\node [venn circle = green] (C) at (0:3.25cm) {Distance Learning:\\ Web Design \&\\Delivery Experts};}
\visible<4->{\node[circle,fill=orange!50,draw=orange,very thick,opacity=0.8,minimum width=3cm] at (barycentric cs:A=1/3,B=1/3,C=1/3 ){Students};}
\end{tikzpicture}
}
\end{frame}
\end{document}
Best Answer
In (plain)TeX one of ASCII character has category code 15 (invalid). Probably such a characters appears somewhere in you files. Please try to add
\catcode`\^^?=12just after\begin{document}, as it is shown below.If the problem still remains, please try to comment all lines before
\begin{document}and write down them again. It should solve the problem temporary and give you time for searching the place of the invalid character in your file(s).